Ashwin Lewis
If your computer is stuck in sleep mode, there are several methods you can try to wake it up. The simplest way is to interact with your computer by wiggling your mouse, pressing keys on your keyboard, or pressing the power button. If these methods don't work, you may need to adjust your power settings, update your system's drivers, or perform a forced restart by holding the power button for a few seconds. Recurring problems may be caused by software conflicts, so it's important to ensure your computer's drivers are up-to-date and that the operating system is fully updated.
How to Wake Up a Forever Sleeping Computer
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Move the mouse | Wiggle the mouse a few times |
| Keyboard | Strike a few keys |
| Power button | Press the power button once or hold it for a few seconds for a forced restart |
| Restart the computer | Choose the restart option |
| Shut down the computer | Press and hold the power button |
| Update drivers | Make sure your computer's drivers are up-to-date |
| Update operating system | Ensure the operating system is fully updated |
| Change power settings | Adjust the sleep timer or change what closing the laptop lid does |
| Disable and re-enable sleep mode | In power settings |
| Check power connections | Ensure the battery is not drained |
| Check for software conflict | Toggle on the option in Windows' Device Manager to allow the keyboard to wake up the PC |
| Check for USB selective suspend | Change the advanced settings for your selected power plan so that USB settings > USB selective suspend settings is set to Disabled |
| Check for continual crashes | Change the Multimedia settings > When sharing media setting to be Allow the computer to sleep |
| Check BIOS settings | Disable the Block Sleep option for USB devices |
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What You'll Learn
Check power connections and battery life
If your computer won't wake up from sleep mode, one of the first things you should do is check the power connections and battery life.
Power Connections
First, check that your computer is plugged into a working power outlet. It may seem obvious, but it's possible that the power cable has been accidentally unplugged, which would cause the computer to turn off completely. If you're using a laptop, ensure that the power cord is securely connected to the device.
Battery Life
If you're using a laptop, check the battery life. A laptop with a drained battery won't respond to your attempts to wake it up. Make sure your laptop is charged and plugged in before trying other methods to wake it.
If your computer is plugged in and the battery is charged, but it still won't wake up, you may need to try a forced restart by holding the power button for a few seconds. You can also try adjusting your power settings, updating your system's drivers, or disabling and re-enabling sleep mode.
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Restart or shut down
If your computer is stuck in sleep mode, there could be a software conflict, or your computer isn't set up to use certain wake-up methods. For example, if your keyboard doesn't wake your computer, Windows' Device Manager includes an option to allow the keyboard to wake the PC.
To ensure your keyboard or mouse can wake your computer from sleep, navigate to the Device Manager, find your device, and go to its properties. Under the 'Power Management' tab, check the box next to 'Allow this device to wake the computer'. This setting ensures that a simple mouse movement or keypress can bring your computer out of sleep mode.
If your computer doesn't wake up when you expect it to, you can try a forced restart by holding the power button for a few seconds. You can also try disabling and re-enabling sleep mode in the power settings.
To access advanced power settings, double-click on your chosen power plan in the Control Panel. This will open a window where you can adjust the sleep timer or change what closing the laptop lid does. You can also create a new power plan in the Control Panel under 'Power Options'. Customizing your power plan allows you to balance performance and energy usage.
If you want to prevent your computer from waking up randomly, you can disable USB selective suspend in the advanced power settings. You can also disable USB wake-up in the BIOS setup.
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Update drivers and operating system
Updating your drivers and operating system is crucial to ensure your computer functions properly and securely. Device drivers are software that enable your computer to communicate with hardware components such as your printer or graphics card. Outdated drivers may lead to hardware malfunctions or poor performance.
To update your Windows device drivers, you can use the Windows Update feature. Here's how:
- Click on the Windows Start button.
- Type "Windows Update" and select "Windows Update Settings".
- Click on "Check for updates" or "Download and install all" if updates are available.
- The updates will be automatically downloaded and installed.
You can also update your drivers using the Device Manager:
- Press the Windows key on your keyboard and type "Device Manager".
- In the Device Manager, you can view and manage your device drivers.
- Right-click on a specific driver and select "Update Driver".
- Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the update.
Additionally, updating your operating system is essential to maintain the overall performance and security of your computer. Here are some general steps to update your Windows operating system:
- Open the Windows Update window by clicking the Start button and selecting "Windows Update Settings".
- Check for available updates and click on "Download and install" if any updates are found.
- Follow any additional instructions provided by the Windows Update tool.
It is important to note that the specific steps to update your operating system may vary depending on the version of Windows you are using.
By keeping your drivers and operating system up to date, you can prevent sleep-related issues and ensure optimal performance and security for your computer.
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Change power settings
If your computer is stuck in sleep mode, there could be a software conflict or your computer isn't set up to use certain wake-up methods. To change the power settings on your computer, follow the steps below:
For Windows Users
- Go to the Start menu and search for "Device Manager".
- Find your device in the resulting list and select it.
- Click on "Properties" and then the "Power Management" tab.
- Check the box next to "Allow this device to wake the computer".
- Click "OK" to save the changes.
- You can also try disabling USB selective suspend, which prevents USB-connected devices from working when the PC is asleep. To do this, go to Control Panel > Power Options and change the advanced settings for your selected power plan. Set USB selective suspend to "Disabled".
- If you're using a keyboard, open Device Manager and find "Keyboards" > "HID Keyboard Device" > "Properties" > "Power Management" > "Allow this device to wake the computer".
- To access advanced power settings, double-click on your chosen power plan in the Control Panel. This will allow you to fine-tune various aspects of your power usage, such as adjusting the sleep timer or changing what closing the laptop lid does.
- You can also create a custom power plan in the Control Panel under "Power Options" to maximize battery life or ensure high performance.
- To prevent your computer from waking up randomly, open the Start menu, search for "Edit Power Plan," and click "Change Advanced Settings". Head to "Sleep" > "Allow Wake Timers" and change "Battery" and "Plugged In" to "Disabled".
- If you use Wake-on-LAN to access your computer remotely, you can select "Only Allow a Magic Packet to Wake the Computer".
For Dell Users
- Go to Start > Settings > System > Power & Battery > Screen and Sleep.
- Under "Screen", select how long you want your device to wait before turning the screen off when you're not using it.
- Under "Sleep", select how long you want your device to wait before going to sleep when you're not using it.
- Under "Power Mode", select the power mode to optimize your computer for performance or power efficiency.
- For more power-saving options, select "Additional Power Settings" to change how your computer uses power.
- If you are using a desktop or tablet, select "Choose what the power buttons do". Next to "When I press the power button", select "Sleep", and then select "Save Changes".
- If you are using a laptop, select "Choose what closing the lid does". Next to "When I close the lid", select "Sleep", and then select "Save Changes".
- If you want to hibernate your computer, select "Start", then select "Power" > "Hibernate".
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Check for software conflicts
Software conflicts occur when two or more applications or processes interfere with each other's functionality, performance, or stability. They can cause errors, crashes, slowdowns, or unexpected behaviours on your computer. To check for software conflicts, you can try the following methods:
Using the Event Viewer
Open the Event Viewer by going to the Start menu, typing "event viewer", and selecting it. Look for error messages related to software conflicts. These messages typically contain information about the conflicting software and can help identify the source of the conflict.
Using the System Configuration
Open the System Configuration by going to the Start menu, typing "msconfig", and selecting it. Go to the "Startup" tab to see which programs are set to start when the computer boots up. You can deselect any programs suspected of causing conflicts and then restart your computer to observe any changes.
Using Task Manager
Open Task Manager and check for any applications or processes that might be causing the computer to stay awake. You can use a clean boot, loading only Microsoft processes, to help identify which third-party application is causing the issue.
Checking Power Options
Ensure that your power options are correctly configured to allow the computer to enter sleep mode. On Windows, you can restore the power plans to default settings by opening Command Prompt as an administrator and running a specific command. You can also adjust power settings through the Control Panel to fix sleep mode issues.
Checking for Updates and Hardware Issues
Outdated drivers, pending Windows updates, and hardware issues can also cause problems with sleep mode. Ensure that your drivers are up to date and that no Windows updates are pending. Additionally, check for hardware issues such as faulty RAM, hard drive, or motherboard, as these can prevent your computer from entering sleep mode.
Once you've identified potential software conflicts, you can try resolving them by updating or reinstalling software, uninstalling or disabling unnecessary or conflicting software, changing software settings, or applying patches and fixes provided by developers.
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Frequently asked questions
To wake up your computer from sleep mode, you can try moving your mouse, pressing any key on your keyboard, or pressing the power button.
The reason could be USB selective suspend, which prevents USB-connected devices from working when the computer is asleep. To change this, go to Control Panel, find Power Options, and change the advanced settings for your power plan so that USB selective suspend is disabled.
If your computer is still not waking up, you can try disabling and re-enabling sleep mode in the power settings. You can also try updating your system's drivers and ensuring that your keyboard or mouse is set up to wake your computer from sleep mode.
You can adjust your power settings by going to Start > Settings > System > Power & Sleep. Here, you can select how long you want your device to wait before turning off the screen and going to sleep. You can also access advanced power settings by double-clicking on your chosen power plan in the Control Panel.
If your computer is stuck in sleep mode, try restarting it. If that doesn't work, there may be a software conflict or your computer may not be set up to use the standard wake-up methods. You can try going into the BIOS setup (usually by pressing F2 or Delete during startup) and checking your power management settings.
